The Writings of a Triathlete Wannabe training for UltraTrail Australia 2017

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Dos and don'ts of Training

A timely reminder of some of the Dos and Don't s in Triathlon training.

I have been getting weekly massages and the masseur has been reminding me to stretch every week as all my muscles are really tight . It is a slow and long road of trying to unravel some of the important but often forgotten habits needed to remain fit , injury free and performing at my optimum level.

Like rest we tend to not rate eating well , stretching and resting with the same importance as training. I continue to play catch up but I am trying my best to change a few bad habits .

In a past post I did find a short piece about Meredith Kessler and how she took 7 years to change and adapt her training habits into the champion she is now.

And recently on firstoffthebike Blog there was a good piece on the Dos and Don't of training .I break lots of the rules but I think if I can get a few of these habits right I will improve.

Make It Work for You

Take a cue from Meredith Kessler and turn her experience into your competitive edge.Create a long-term vision: A long-term plan opens the door of progression, which leads to constant evolution and improvement.Be patient: It is easy to build a long-term vision,
but much tougher to execute it daily and always maintain the vision
throughout multiple seasons. Stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded.Build a plan custom-tailored to you: It is
Meredith’s willingness and ability to think outside the box and develop
an approach that suits her that has delivered results. Do all the stated
truths in triathlon training really apply to you? Are they truths, or
simply unchallenged norms?Think beyond endurance: Swimming, biking and running
is the most specific training you can do. But to truly evolve your
performance, you also need to focus on the supporting elements of
nutrition, recovery, functional strength, psychology, skills and
equipment.Be consistent: Performance evolution is a result of
many days, weeks, months and years of consistent training load. In fact,
the reason we focus so much on specificity in training, as well as
recovery, is to achieve training consistency.Stay balanced: Without a tremendous amount of
resilience and emotional balance, Meredith could not have succeeded. The
triathlon lifestyle doesn’t promote life balance, but if you make it a
priority and dedicated focus, you can achieve it.Work hard: This sport isn’t easy. Meredith could not
have evolved to her level without massive amounts of grit,
determination, sacrifice and hard work. There is no easy way, but there
sure is a smart way.

Read more at http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/11/23/the-journey-of-meredith-kessler#OruOuhUM02z6AhbR.99

Be insane – Insanity is doing the same thing all
the time while expecting a different result (at least according to
Einstein). If you aren’t happy with your results and want to improve
them, do something different – anything! We all know that you need to
change what you’re doing if you want to change the results you’re
getting but few actually do it.

Forget about your front! Finish a training session
and what do you stretch (if anything)? Chances are you do a quick calf
stretch on the front step or throw your leg up on the fence or the couch
for a quick hamstring stretch before going on with your day. But what
about the front of your body? Your quads, abdomen and chest are probably
a bit neglected. But they can also the most problematic areas for
triathletes given the amount of time you spend sitting each day (whether
at a desk, in your car or on your bike). These areas get tight and put
pressure on your hips and shoulders, leading to knee pain when riding
your bike or shoulder pain while swimming. So make a point of stretching
something on the front of your body – like your chest or hip flexors –
every time you stretch your calves or hamstrings.

Assume that because you swim, bike and run, you don’t need to do anything else – Triathlon,
like most sports, consists of repeated movement patterns. Your work
probably does too. These movements you repeat day in and day out create
muscle imbalances which can ultimately contribute to a niggle in your
shoulder or knee and ultimately an injury that stops you from training.
Minimise your risk of injury by doing something that challenges your
body in a different way. Go for a trail run, a mountain bike ride or
head into the gym and work on your back, glutes and hamstrings. It will
help to keep your muscle imbalances in check and reduce your chances of
getting injured. Just remember to do everything with proper technique
and form, and don’t be afraid to seek assistance from a professional if
you’re unsure.

Stay up late – I’m a night owl so this is something
I really struggle with. But have you ever noticed how tired you feel
when you go to bed late but still get eight-plus hours of sleep? The
more sleep you get before midnight the better; it’s higher quality so
you’ll get more ‘bang for your buck’. And while we’re on the topic:
falling asleep on the couch doesn’t count! In fact, it’s probably the
worst thing you can do because any ‘sleep’ you get – and I use that term
loosely – is poor quality and it’ll leave you feeling even more tired
tomorrow.

Fall into the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ trap
(a.k.a. baby got back) – Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean
it’s not important. Having strong glutes is one thing. Having strong
glutes which function properly is another thing entirely. You can do all
the squats you want but if you haven’t trained your glutes and core to
stabilise you while you’re using one leg – such as when you’re running
or riding – you’re not only wasting your time but setting yourself up
for an injury. Learn how to make them strong but also (more importantly)
to make them work properly (there is a difference!).

Enough of the mistakes. Here are some simple things you can start
doing today that will improve your body’s ability to recover from, and
adapt to, your training so you can get faster sooner:Do…

Sleep seven-to-nine-hours each day – Your body
recovers from everything you put it through and grows stronger when you
sleep. Not getting enough sleep also floods your body with stress
hormones, which slow your recovery and can make it harder for you to
lose weight. So turn the computer and/or TV off early tonight – even if
it’s just 15 minutes earlier for a bit of extra sleep.

Drink lots of H2O (even when you aren’t training) –
When your body is hydrated, it’s like a green tree branch; it can bend
and flex when a load is applied to it and is harder to break. If a tree
branch dries out, it can’t absorb the same loads and breaks more easily.
Your body is the same. Dehydration affects your performance and
increases your likelihood of injury. So drink 300ml of water for every
10-kilogramss of bodyweight. E.g., 2.1 litres of fluid each day if you
weigh 70-kilograms as a minimum and more if you’ve exercised today.

Train in all 5 gears – Most cars have five gears (disregarding reverse – we don’t want you going there!),
ranging from slow (first) through to overdrive (fifth). And, if you
drive properly, you use all five. Your body is the same. It has five
gears – or six depending on what training philosophy you adopt – ranging
from easy to flat chat, five-second sprint pace. And you should use all
of them. Most people tend to train at the same intensity – in the same
one-to-two gears – all the time. So shake up your training and boost
your performance by challenging yourself to spend time training in all
five ‘gears’.

Treat your body right – Trigger points are sore or
tight spots which indicate places in your body where tension or stress
is being stored. They limit your range of motion and can cause you
discomfort, pain and ultimately injury. Spend five-to-10 minutes every
day using a foam roller to release them.

Get a golf ball or a hard spiky ball and roll it along the base of your foot –
Your foot has 26 bones and 33 joints, making it one of the most
complicated and important parts of your body. What happens at your foot
will affect every other part of your body – from your knee to your
shoulder –so making sure that your feet function properly is essential
especially for runners. So roll baby roll!

Care for your core: a strong core – being all the
muscles in your abdomen, lower back and hips all the way to your knees –
is essential for everyday life and your sport. It helps to alleviate
back pain, reduces your risk of injury and allows your body to use all
the power your arms and legs generate to propel you forward faster. Have
a look at this post for some tips on how to do it properly.

After
deciding to leave the law, Jen began working as a Personal Trainer and
specialises in helping triathletes and runners build strong, resilient
and injury-free bodies. She is also a Development Level (Level One)
Triathlon Coach and established Sparta PT to help triathletes and runners of all levels realise their potential.